Streamlining the conduct of cancer clinical trials: new standard data collection practices for National Cancer Institute late-phase clinical studies

The increase in the complexity of cancer clinical trials over the past several decades has led to a dramatic growth in trial cost and operational burden. The extent and frequency of data collection, particularly in late-phase trials that enroll many participants, have been major contributors to this problem. The Clinical Trials and Translational Research Advisory Committee of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) recently assessed the effect of these stressors on the NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) and recommended that data collection in late-phase NCTN trials be limited to data elements essential to address the primary and secondary objectives of the trial. The purpose of this commentary is to describe the rationale for this recommendation, progress toward implementation, and the development of new streamlined standard practices for data collection for late-phase NCTN trials effective January 1, 2025.